


Madman Wonderland

by RedtailedRyo



Category: Sonic X, Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comic), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: CrazyShadow, Cult, Interrogation, M/M, incarceration, jailbreak, pairings mildly hinted at
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2016-11-04
Packaged: 2018-08-21 19:44:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8258219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedtailedRyo/pseuds/RedtailedRyo
Summary: All he wanted was to go home, figures nothing is ever that simple.
 
Former entry in Collected Rings, but now is it's own mini series; Madman Wonderland.





	1. Cuffed and Questioned

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Hedgefox Kitsune (theshadeshadow)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theshadeshadow/gifts).



> For my Sephie (HedgefoxKitsune), whose been there with me from the beginning, through the good and the bad.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

 

It wasn’t the first time he had been handcuffed and sat at a metal unforgiving table, across from an officer of the law. This wasn’t new to him by a long shot, but he wasn‘t an ‘expert’ in this field by any stretch of the imagination.

 

Though the last time this had happened, he had been on earth and the officer questioning him had been his Uncle Sam. …was still totally not his fault they’d turned that one-way sign around. But a still awkward moment he hoped never to relive.

 

“So Mr. Thorndyke, you are being charged with illegal passage through Zones without proper clearance or licenses. Also said travel has resulted in your current physical situation.” The officer drawled out shuffling some papers in front of him, familiar green eyes staring at him, familiar face stoic and familiar voice, maybe slightly deeper with a hint of an accent. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

 

Chris gaped at the achingly familiar hedgehog in front of him, blue eyes round, staring in wonder and slight horror. “…Am I being punk‘d?” He squeaked in his high voice, still in his twelve year-old form, his cheeks flushing pink in embarrassment.

 

The officer rolled his eyes a bit, “No. You are currently in the interrogation room of Zone Prison and my name is Officer Zonic.”

 

“…Zonic?”

 

“Officer Zonic.” Zonic snapped curtly.

 

“Right sorry…Officer.” Chris lowered his eyes, “I just…I‘m not sure I understand what‘s going on here.” He twisted his wrists in the tight cuffs, wincing a bit as metal bit into his flesh. “I mean…Zone Police? Zones? I had no idea…I just…I think I‘m getting headache.”

 

Chris brought his cuffed hands to his forehead, trying to calm throbbing behind his eyes. This was just too unreal…

 

Zonic‘s mouth twitched a hint of a smile on his tan lips, “It‘s a common side effect when someone first visit’s the No-Zone. You‘ll get over it.”

 

“Though since that blue hedgehog came into my life…it‘s a wonder I‘m still surprised by anything.” The redhead groaned into his hands, drawing a chuckle from the officer across from him. 

 

“So what kind of trouble am I in?”

 

Zonic rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, “We‘ll see after I‘m done questioning you.” He said, catching Chris’ eyes with his sharp green. “It could be a mild sentence or something worse. Negligence or not. Only yes or no/true or false answers unless I ask you to elaborate, if you would kindly. I don‘t think I have to remind you to answer truthfully.”

 

Chris just sighed, headache pounding at his temples and acknowledged the officer affirmatively.

 

“Right then,” the blue hedgehog began, “Is it that true that you were visited by individuals from the X-Zone to your Zone six years ago?”

 

“X-Zone? Oh Sonic’s wor- …Yes sir.”

 

“And they eventually returned to their own zone, yet one, X-Zone‘s Sonic, stayed behind for a while before returning?”

 

“Yes sir…”

 

Green eyes stared at him unblinkingly, “Elaborate.”

 

Chris squirmed in his seat, “I…prevented him from returning.”

 

“Explain.”

 

Chris closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, “I was a very lonely, selfish, stupid child at the time and I wasn‘t ready to say goodbye to my best friend yet. But he humored me, helped me grow up a bit and went back on his own.” he smiled a bit, lost in a memory.

 

“Hmm so X-Zone’s Sonic is moderately decent at manipulating Chaos Control and the emeralds.” Zonic said, more to himself than his captive, scribbling something down on one of the papers in front of him.

 

“Then for the following six years you studied and eventually built your own Zone Gate?” Zonic continued a bit louder, startling the red head out of his thoughts.

 

Chris’ brows frowned, “Zone gate? …Oh! You mean my dimensional porta-err…yes sir.” He winced at the sharp look the officer sent his way.

 

“Upon completion of the Zone Gate, did you use it to travel to the X-Zone?”

 

“If you mean Sonic‘s world then, yes, yes sir I did.” Chris nodded to the officer, blue drifting over the other’s face, so similar to his best friend’s, but those eyes, the same emerald color, but the sharpness behind them made the human uneasy.

 

“And you stayed in the X-Zone for at least,” The officer paused to look at another folder, “…seven months before attempting to return to your home Zone, where upon you were taken into custody and brought here?”

 

“Yes sir.” Chris blinked, had that whole Metarex adventure taken seven months? …It seemed so much longer, a vision of Cosmo flashed across his mind, yet so short to lose a friend.

 

Zonic leveled him with a serious look, “Are you aware of the time difference between the two Zones?”

 

“Yes I-” Suddenly something clicked into place and Chris felt like he had been submerged in ice water. “Wait s-seven months…that means-”

 

“It means seven years have passed in your Zone. Currently you have been legally declared dead by your Zone‘s laws.” Sharp green eyes watched as pale skin became even paler, making the dark circles under the human eyes more prominent. He stood and with two quick strides was at the human’s side as the redhead swayed into him, out like a light.

 

Zonic stared down at the top of the human’s head and sighed, pushing the other to lean back on the chair he was sitting in. He brushed the other’s clothes straight and pushed the ginger bangs from Chris’ forehead, he patted the human’s cheek, but he didn’t stir.

 

Zonic sighed and promptly poured a cup of water over Chris’ face, the human coming back to the land of the living with a sputter, almost falling out of the uncomfortable metal chair. Chris coughed and Zonic ran his hand through the human’s hair as he headed back to his own chair.

 

“Now that you‘ve got that out of your system; you‘ve answered my questions and pleaded guilty to the crimes you are being charged with-”

 

“Wait, wait!” Chris coughed, shaking his head, ignoring the droplets of water that fell from his hair and the pounding of his headache that only had become worse. “You can‘t just…I can‘t believe…this-”

 

“Yes you have been declared dead and you are guilty of the crimes you admitted to. As such you are to be sentenced to Zone Prison for a minimum of ten years with no parole.”

 

Chris’ head spun and turned green, “I think I‘m going to be sick…”

 

“…if these were normal circumstances that is.” Zonic continued, pushing the files away except for one. “Luckily for you, I can shorten your sentence…provided you do me a small favor first.” Zonic reached across the table and cupped the human’s cheek in his gloved hand, “And I‘m not asking, I‘m telling. Not that you have much of a choice, dead man.” Chris stared at the officer as he smirked, feeling his heart drop into his stomach. 

 

“Now let’s see if my little experiment works.”

 

Less than an hour later he was sitting across from another hedgehog with green fur and blue eyes, still extremely familiar in all sorts of ways neither right nor wrong. His cellmate grins a nasty grin and wiggles his fingers in a mockery of a greeting, “Well how you doin’? I was wondering who Officer Asshole was going to drop in here. What are you in for?” 

 

“…Am I being punk’d?” Chris asked no one in particular, mind reeling at the weirdness around him. He thought he was used to the weird and odd now, but being surrounded by doppelgangers of Sonic in an interdimensional prison was just too much.

 

The other seemed to mull his words over and nod, “Oh I see first time in the slammer, huh? He sent me a greenhorn… Man he’s dumber than I thought.” He snickered, throwing his legs off the bunk and stood, making a show of cracking his knuckles. 

 

The hedgehog grinned at the look of fear in the redhead’s eyes, prowling closer. Chris jumped to his feet trying to put space between them, “Woah, I don’t want any trouble, mister! Look I’ll just stay here and-” 

 

“The name’s Scourge, kid, baddest speedster in the multiverse and let me welcome you to hell.” The other cut him off, in both speech and movement, pinning him to the wall with hand twisted into the fabric of his prison uniform. Chris yelped, cursing his child body for the millionth time in the last seven months, grabbing the other’s arm.

 

Damn these anthromorphic talking animal and their damned superpowers!

 

“Please don’t smack me around this room, I get enough of that from Shadow.” He whined, half in fear, half in exasperation as he rolled his eyes heavenward, asking for help and answers. Scourge frowned, narrowing his eyes, “Stripes? You know Stripes?” he asked a little unbelievingly, tightening his hand on the boy.

 

“…You know Shadow?” Chris asked in the same tone.

 

“Yeah I know Mr. Pissed Emo, always strutting his stuff whining about ‘ultimate this, ultimate that’ and ‘Mariaaaa’.” Scourge then squinted at Chris, “You know….you look a lot like picture I’ve seen of the broad.”

 

“I am NOT Maria and I’m NOT a punching bag!” Chris scowled, pushing the other away in surprising burst of strength. “I’m so tired of that! I may be a human but that does not put a big ‘HIT ME’ sign on my face!” Scourge raised an eyebrow in surprise as the other raged, not knowing whether the boy was insane or just stupid. 

 

“Now look I’m having one hell of a bad day, I just found out I’m in prison for trying to get home and it looks like I’m going to be here for a very long time!” His chest heaved and his heart pounded as he struck a martial arts stance that got him laughed at last time he used it, “I don’t have any pride, dignity, patience or sanity left, so come at me, I’m going down swinging, you jerk! I’ve already been declared dead!”

 

Silence rang in the cell for several pregnant moments, before Scourge snickered, then fell onto his back howling in laughter. Chris stood there for moment before feeling anger drain from him as his cellmate rolled on the ground in front him. “Damn, you’ve got some balls, don’t you, Kid?” Scourge gasped for breath, wiping tears from his eyes, “I don’t know whether you’re stupid or just bat shit crazy.” 

 

Two shades of blue eyes met as Scourge sat up, still snickering, “Who the hell taught you a stance like that? You look like a sad kung fu movie.” The red head’s shoulders drooped, thinking of his faithful butler, “The sad fact is…you’re most likely right about that.” He deadpanned, causing Scourge to laugh again.

 

“What’s your name? And what’s good little boy like you doing in a place like this?” The hedgehog grinned, eyes sparking in a mischievous way. Chris felt a shiver up his spine, still uneasy about his cellmate, “Chris…and pretty much wrong dimension, wrong space/time… you know, the normal stuff.”

 

“Yeah I do, Chris. …Nah I don’t like it, that name doesn’t fit and you seem a little bats” He made the ‘crazy’ motion next to his temple for emphasis, “I’ll call you Bats instead.” The human grimaced at the nickname, causing Scourge to grin, “See? You like it. …You know, I think we’re going to get along just fine, Bats.”

 

Chris had a feeling in the pit of his stomach that he was going to regret meeting this hedgehog. This was proven when Scourge grabbed the front of his jumpsuit, but instead of pinning him to the wall again…he was pinned to the other’s chest and kissed very roughly.

 

Oh yeah he was so going to regret this.

 

0-0-0-0-0

 

Zonic figured two hours was long enough to see if his experiment worked as he approached the cell block that held the particular human he was thinking about. He was confident his hypothesis was correct and wasn’t disappointed when he came around the corner and saw the cell wide open and several guards unconscious.

 

“Cell block 8, we have an escape.” He said into his radio as a distant explosion echoed in the prison, followed by alarms. Zonic was sure, knowing Scourge, the two were long gone by now and after reviewing the security footage, the last part in particular, he knew he had been right about the human. 

 

Things were about to get a lot more interesting, he thought with a grin.

0-0-0-0-0


	2. Monarchy is Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally escape from the no zone, but straight into a hellhole from Chris' nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So lemme just say I took a lot of liberties with Mobius 25 years later Shadow, but I regret nothing. X3

0-0-0-0  
  
  
So...this is my life now, Chris thought to himself as he found himself elbows deep in metallic innards of some machine that was part of his new 'partner's' next big scheme. Scourge swore this would be the best way to finally escape this 'No Zone' and Chris was just that desperate to go along with it. Oh yes he did have his fair share of complaints and qualms about how they went about it, but the green menace took them all with that smug grin of his.  
  
  
The redhead yanked on another mess of tangled wires, connecting them and disconnecting others, light from sparks reflecting off his goggles as he did so. He muttered to himself some choice words about his new 'partner' and what he does in his private time. His cheeks flushed a bit thinking about their first meeting in prison and how the green hedgehog had kissed-   
  
  
Chris looked down when he heard a cracking noise and swore violently, flinging the component he just broke across the hideout. The random bit of metal and circuitry crashing into the wall next to Scourge's head as he entered their hideout. “Whoa there, Bats, don't take my head off!” The green hedgehog said, flinching away from the bits of circuitry rain down around him. He set a duffel bag on the ground while the human made a frustrated noise and threw his hands in the air. “Oh! Oh wait, are you having a meltdown?! Of course you're having a meltdown!” Scourge grinned gleefully, taking his shades off, “Hold on, let me get comfortable for this!”  
  
  
Chris scowled, pushing his goggles up off his blazing blue eyes, “I've had it, Scourge! I can't work in these conditions! Or with the junk you keep finding for me! I HAVE HAD IT!” He began pacing the length of the machine while Scourge flailed looking for the best place to sit and watch the human lose his mind. “Now I may have built a Zone Gate in the past, but I had money, the best equipment and the location was ideal! In a contained clean space with proper containment protocols, not a...a...a junkyard!”  
  
  
“Technically it's a landfill and we're on a convict's budget. Suck it up, sweetheart.” Scourge grinned, digging through his duffel bag as Chris just made a strangled noise, yanking at his ginger hair in frustration. “While were on that subject! I'm now a wanted man,” Chris ignored Scourge's snort at that and continued his angered rambling, “We can't even show our faces in polite society anymore! We have no money, no food, other than what you steal which is only going to back fire on us!”  
  
  
“And further more...” Chris paused, a strange but familiar smell wafting under his noise and he slowly turned to face Scourge, “….are you eating popcorn while I'm talking?” He deadpanned while Scourge grinned like the cat that caught the canary, wiggling the offending box in Chris' direction. “Hey what can I say, you need good eats for good entertainment.” The delinquent cackled at the look on his human partner's face, his sky blue eyes flashing his fiendish glee.  
  
  
“I hate you.” Chris hissed, spinning around on his heel and stomping back to the area that was technically his lab. “Aww come on, Bats, don't be sore.” Scourge hopped to his feet and followed Chris, offering him the duffel bag, “Your old buddy Scourge brought you back all sorts of gizmos and they're all mostly in one piece.” The redhead groaned and slumped over his desk, covering his head with his arms. Scourge dropped the bag next to Chris and patted the human back in mocking comfort, “My poor baby boo, I know it's hard since you're a pampered little richie rich-rich.” He mocked, grinning when he heard the muffled curses and mutters.  
  
  
“You're doing just fine, now tell your old buddy Scourge what he can do to make you feel better and get back to working on that Zone Gate so we can get the hell out of this hell hole.” Chris made a growling noise as Scourge stroked his head like he was a pet needing comfort, “Oh go die in a ditch, you jerk of a pincushion!” Scourge rolled his eyes and snorted, anyone else had talked to him the way this human did, he would've ended them long before now. But Chris was lucky he was just so darn awkward and cute when he tried to be tough. Plus he needed him to make a Zone gate.  
  
  
An evil thought popped into Scourge's head then he grinned, placing his hands on Chris' shoulders, pressing his front to the human's back and purred huskily into his ear, “How about I take your clothes off?” The reaction was instant; Chris bodily flung himself away, squawking in indignation as he flailed, “Nope! Unacceptable!” The human glared at the hedgehog, his face a glorious shade of red as he put as much distance between them as he could. Scourge couldn't hold back the evil cackle, he loved messing with his partner far too much. “Oh your face! Best thing ever!” He snickered then tossed the duffel bag at Chris, “Have a look through there; there's parts and food. So stop your bitching.”  
  
  
Chris scowled, the heat draining from his face as Scourge continued laughing at his embarrassment and while the other wandered off, he grumbled as he looked through the bag. Most of it was the same old junk that wouldn't be much help with the Zone Gate and some food, he thought while tugging up the waist band of his low riding pants. The clothes given to him by Scourge made him question the hedgehog’s choice of style. He felt like he was dressed aa bad backup dancer for some ninties pop star, with the low ridding baggy pants and the sleeveless vest he wore as sad excuse for a shirt. He ripped open a packet of jerky and stared nibbling on it while shifting through the metal, while he wasn't finding anything to help with the gate, there were some promising other projects in the mix of junk.   
  
  
Then Chris pulled out a small hand held device that remind him off a gameboy back in his world. Then he actually recognize the device and dropped his jerky in shock, “Oh my god!” He exclaimed jumping up and running back to his workspace, smacking random other projects off in order to devote his full attention to the treasure he found. “What? What the hell, Bats?!” Scourge dashed back in from the other room, clad only in his socks, mostly likely just getting ready to nap, “The hell is wrong with you?!”  
  
  
Chris couldn't stop the deranged giggle bubbling up in his throat as after a few tweaks the device powered up and numbers started rolling across the small holo-screen that fizzled to life. “This is...! Oh my god, we've done it!” He grinned bouncing in place while his partner gave him a weird look, “Don't you see?! Oh no of course you don't!” Scourge's raised an eyebrow, “Okay, I'm used to your angry ranting but I didn't know you did insane ramblings as well...”   
  
  
“Ugh you troglodyte, this!” Chris held up the device and shook it for emphasis, getting right into the green hedgehog's face, “This is what the Zone Cops use to activate the Zone Gates! We can leave!” Scourge's eyes when wide and his grin threatened to split his face in two, “Seriously?! Fucking hell yeah, let's get the hell outta here then!” Chris felt happy for the first time in weeks, it bubbled up in him and before he knew what he did he grabbed Scourge by the face and kissed him.  
  
  
'...Hell yeah,' Scourge thought, briefly then barely a millisecond later Chris released him with a disturbed expression while the hedgehog stood frozen in shock, “Sorry, sorry, don't know what I was thinking. Moment of insanity won't happen again.” He cleared his throat awkwardly retreating back to his lab and began fiddling with the device. “Ah Goddamnit,” Scourge cursed, running a hand through his quills in frustration and stomped his foot for emphasis, “Now you going clam up on me again!”  
  
  
“It still need a few repairs, b-but it should be good to go...accept for, you know, we still need a working gate.” Chris squeaked, then cleared his throat again to get his voice back to a more reasonable tone, his face bright red again. “Well as long as we have that, we don't have to worry about a gate anymore.” Scourge smirked, sauntering up behind Chris, who gave him a miffed look, not at all happy that all his work was going to be abandoned, “Oh calm down you weren't making any progress anyway.” Chris huffed at him, crossing his arms moodily, “Well then what do you propose we do about getting a working gate? Break in Zone Cop HQ?”   
  
  
The broad grin that stretched across Scourge’s face had Chris paling, “Wonderful idea, Bats! You’re becoming more and more of a criminal everyday!”  
  
  
0-0-0-0-0-0  
  
  
“I hate you! I hate you sooooo much!” Chris yelled over the blaring alarms as he clung to the green menace. Scourge just howled his enjoyment as they speed though the halls, dodging laser fire, “Hang on, Bats!” Scourge lead them quickly to the nearest zone gate, dumping Chris to the floor as he began sabotaging the door so the cops wouldn't disturb them. Chris scowled at the treatment but jumped to his feet and ran for the gate, pulling out his device to start it.  
  


He counted his lucky stars when both worked without a hitch, a multicolored portal appearing in the center of the gate and began scrolling through the list of Zone coordinates, “Ugh I don't know what these Zones are! What's the coordinates for your Zone?!” He yelled to Scourge who seemed to be having trouble with hold back the guards. Chris yelped, ducking a stray laser shot as Scourge cursed and ran up next to him, “Fuck it, just pick one!” The hedgehog hissed, dragging the human behind a console as the Zone Cops flooded in through the door.

 

 

“You can't just 'pick one'!” Chris shrieked, ducking more laser fire, “There no idea where we might end up!” Scourge growled and yanked the device from Chris, randomly pressing a random set of numbers, “Well I just did, now move it!” He snarled grabbing the human's hand and yanked him into the portal. Zonic skidding into the bay as Chris' scream cut off via the portal, “Cease fire! Cease fire!” He turned his emerald green eyes to the portal and sigh putting his hands on hips.  
  
  
“Great, now I have to go looking for them again.”  
  
  
Chris felt sick from the swirl of colors and light from the zone gate as he tumbled through it. He gasped when he felt Scourge hand slip from his. He didn't even get time to protest as he was assaulted by an explosion of sound then his body met a hard unforgiving surface. His momentum, as he flew from the portal, made him bounce against the hard floor several times before he came to a harsh stop against an equally hard wall. He made a pained noise, clutching his forearm to his chest as he leaned back against the wall, ignoring the gasps and concerned murmuring around him.   
  
  
Though the commanding tone of a familiar voice made him open his eyes that he didn't remember closing and looked up. He blinked, meeting familiar red eyes that seem to widen in shock, and spoke confused, “Shadow?” A hand caught his chin and his head was forced up by Shadow, the other looking at him in a questioning crimson gaze, “Your eyes...who are you?”   
  
  
Chris blinked slow, looking at Shadow a bit better, noticing the shiny crown his head and the long flowing cape, then his own expression turned exasperated and a bit annoyed, “Aw not again...” He groaned before his world blacked out and he fainted dead away.  
  
  
0-0-0-0-0  
  
  
Several things came screaming to Chris' attention as he rejoined the land of awareness. Screaming in the literal sense, because he sat up cursing and flailing when he saw unfamiliar figures above him. “Who are you?! Where am I?” He leaped from their reaching hands and skittered along the bed he was in till he was as far as he could go. He raised his arms and single leg, adopting the crane pose, “I know Kung Fu.” He threatened in a completely nonthreatening gravely voice to the unimpressed looking crowd next to the bed. He also wondered where the hell Scourge was, noticing the other was not in the room with him.  
  
  
A deep chuckle reverberated through the room and Chris froze looking at the familiar form in the door way. Shadow wore a familiar smirk on his face and a familiar warmth behind his crimson eyes. “Take leave of our interesting guest, it's obvious he is still quite shaken up from his landing.” The amass of servants, Chris assumed, all bowed and left the room a little too quick for the human's liking.  
  
  
“Now... as for you, please come down from there.” Shadow addressed the human who seemed to act like he was trying to scale the solid wall behind him. “I would hate it if you fell and hurt yourself again after I went to the trouble of healing that arm of yours.” Chris frowned looking down at his arm as he lowered himself back down to the bed. He remembered the pain of his landing then looked at Shadow, “Healed it? How? I'm sure it was broken or at least fractured.”  
  
  
He wearily watches the other Shadow, taking in the way this version held himself. He seemed nice, which set off every alarm bell in Chris' head. He learned to handle the normal amnesiac and surly Shadow well enough and knew what to expect from that one. Granted that was usually him getting knocked around then saved, then knocked around again and saved then knocked around some more… Knuckles was right, he did have Stockholm.  
  
  
A flash of green light and the familiar fizzle of Chaos energy broke him from his thoughts and instinctively flung himself over the other side of the bed. His eyes glowed and he felt the crackle of energy surging through his veins, his hair standing on end from it. He heard the other laugh again and peeked over the edge, seeing him hold a small ball of light in the palm his hand.  
  
  
“I mean you no harm, little one,” Shadow smirked seeing the human bristle at the name and extinguished the Chaos in his hand, “But you did ask, so I merely demonstrated.” Chris frowned at him, raising up a little more, “Sorry, it's my bad actually. When y-...most people point Chaos Energy at me, it's rarely a good thing for me.” He said while Shadow's smirk dropped into a frown, his red eyes turning a bit darker.  
  
  
Chris tried not to flinch or skitter away as the royal looking hedgehog sat on the bed, but failed, “I only used my power to heal you, I swear.” The hedgehog said, calm and softly, like he was trying to calm a skittish animal. The human swallowed and climbed up to sit on the bed as well and noticed it seem to perk the other up somewhat, though he still seemed troubled. He ran his hand through his wild red hair, feeling odd, like he'd hurt this Shadow's feelings somehow and it vexed him at the guilt that decided to kick at him for it.  
  
  
“Thank you for healing my arm.” Chris cleared his throat, inwardly cursing when his voice cracked. _**Goddamned second puberty.**_ “And I'm sorry for literally crashing in on you.” Shadow smiled brightly at him, Chris was hit with the sudden urge to punch himself when his heart skipped a beat and wondered if his own Shadow could smile like that. “Think nothing of it….your arrival is the most interesting thing to happen in quite a while.” Shadow looked at him in interest, red eyes staring deep into Chris', leaning closer to him. “And I am _**very**_ interested in you.”  
  
  
“I’m sorry but you must be a level 20 holy knight to unlock my tragic back story and dialog options. Please do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars.” Chris said monotonously, skittering to the other side of the room, desperately needing distance between him and this Shadow in case the hedgehog decided to spring at him. Shadow frowned in confusion at the human’s words, probably wondering if he suffered brain damage from his fall earlier. “Come now, do not not play coy, I merely wish to speak with you.” The regal hedgehog said, but with a bit of bite to his words and his eyes flashed.  
  
  
“Nope! I’ve seen that look before, I got kidnapped to a space station and thrown across a room last time! Thank you for the healing but no thank you for whatever’s going through your head right now.” Chris glanced frantically around the room, but kept Shadow in his vision. “Now I really must be going, I have a prior engagement and I need to find my partner-!” He trails off into a sharp noise as a hand slammed into the wall beside his head and Shadow was suddenly a lot closer than before.  
  
  
“Oh no, I do not think you’ll be going anywhere until I say different.” Shadow growled, a familiar tone, but darker and angrier than anything he heard from his Shadow. Chris tensed, his hand going to his thigh where he kept his stun weapon, but flailed feeling only smooth fabric on his thigh. “I took the liberty of having your things taken away and gave you a more pleasant change of clothes.” Shadow all but purred, his tone now smug at the human’s obviously shock.   
  
  
Chris swore than looked down at himself and froze, his eyes going comically wide his jaw dropping. It was blue, he noticed first, light blue, a familiar light blue, he’d seen this outfit before and it made a little piece of him die on the inside. “….I’m in a dress.” He deadpanned, looking down at the short skirt, “I’m in Maria’s dress.” Shadow looked a bit surprised, his brow frowning, but not angrily, more surprised, “Not the exact dress, but I replica I had made a while back. I think it suits you extremely well, much more than what you were wearing beforehand.”  
  
  
Shadow scowled, thinking of the so called clothing the boy had been wearing when he first arrived. A tight purple leather shirt with no sleeves that was too low cut and paired with the low riding pants, showed far too much of the human’s skin. “A lesser being might have taken advantage of you dressed that way and in such a state.” He then smirked, eyes going half lidded and leaned in close to the human, to whisper in his ear, “But then I’m not a lesser being and I won’t let anyone unworthy touch you.”  
  
  
Chris suddenly dropped straight down and flung one of his legs out, kicking Shadow’s feet from him. The royal garbed hedgehog fell back in shock as the human scrabbled on all fours, his crimson eyes comically wide. He growled as Chris got back to his feet and dashed out the door. The boy was smart and feisty more so than he had expected, he thought as a grin split his muzzle, yet still so interesting. It had been ages since he felt his blood pound in excitement as he followed the human’s path.  
  
  
Chris ran like he had never before, bare feet slapping on the ground, taking turns as quick as he could. He needed to put more distance between him and that crazy hedgehog. This was ridiculous, thousands of thoughts flew through his head and none of them were good. They only continued to go down hill as he took in his surroundings as he ran. The halls and rooms were lined with portraits, statues and tapestries of a familiar human girl with blond hair, blue eyes and the same blue dress he was currently stuck in.  
  
  
It had been a bit of running joke back with his own Sonic and friends concerning Shadow, his obsessions, Maria and Chris himself. But this...was ridiculous! Surely this Shadow wasn’t really thinking that he was... He screamed bloody murder coming to a screeching stop, literally, in front of said hedgehog as he appeared in front of him. The hedgehog smirked as he leaned against the wall, his face smug and buffed his nails on his chest as the human flailed, “Now really, did you think you could outrun _**me**_? ”   
  
  
Chris backpedaled as fast as he could only for Shadow to teleport behind him, shrieking when the other wrapped his arms around him, trapping his own arms to his sides. Struggling and kicking the human did everything he could to make the hedgehog let him go. “Struggle all you want, little one, I don’t plan on letting you go.” Shadow purred into Chris’ ear as he easily lifted the boy off the ground, “You’re here for a reason, it’s no accident you came here.”  
  
  
“Yes it is! Its because some idiot didn’t know how to input zone coordinates right! LET ME GO, YOU FRUITLOOP!” Chris cursed as he was carried like an upset pet, he tried flailing, anything to knock the other over again, but he wouldn’t budge. In sheer desperation he wrapped his legs around a column as tight as he could, Shadow making an annoyed grunt at his stubbornness. Where the hell was Scourge when he actually needed him?! “Come now, boy, there’s no more need to resist.” He grunted, gritting his teeth and tried to dislodge the other, but the human was surprisingly determined to hold on, “It is no use. You know I’m stronger than you, I do not wish to harm you, but if you continue to test me...”  
  
  
“You’re going to what? Smack me across the room a few times? Blow out my engine and crash my plane?” Chris felt his legs giving as the other continued to tug at him, sweat trailing down his forehead in effort. “I promise I will not do any of those things to you.” Shadow tried to reason, the human’s legs giving out on their hold and pulled the red head away from anything he could possibly grab onto. He stalked and pretty much kicked open a large set of double doors. He released the human who attempted to skitter away, but his legs gave out under him. The hedgehog closed and locked the doors behind him, feeling more at ease as he splayed his arms out over the doors. There was no where left for the human to run. Those doors were the only way out.   
  
  
“I am sorry things like those has happened to you in the past.” He told the human and received a scowl in return, “I swear nothing like that will ever happen to a lovely creature as yourself again.” Chris rubbed his aching legs, he’d strained his legs trying to compete with the hedgehog’s strength, he wouldn’t be surprised if he had bruises later. He scuttled back like a crab as Shadow approached him, “Stay back! I don’t know what your game is, but I am not willing to play!” He hissed and felt his back hit a solid surface, he looked up and pale as a large stone replica of Maria’s face smiled down at him.  
  
  
He went cold all over, his hair standing on in and hissed low in his throat like an angry cat, “Noooooooo...” A habit he picked up from most of his friends and not-friends being animals and making animal-like noises. Shadow paused his approach and put a hand to his chest in a mildly affronted manner, huffing a bit, “No need for such noises, I won’t hurt you, _**I promised**_.” Chris’ eyes narrowed at him, distrust alight in his ocean blue eyes as the dark hedgehog looked at the statue above them. “You must believe me, I would never hurt a gift she sent to me.”   
  
  
“A what and who sent what?! No one sent me me, it was a random accident!” He spat out in confusion, wondering what madness the other was spouting. Shadow smiled his tone reverent as he looked at the large statue, “Her, Maria, she sent you to me. You will be her second coming.” He looked back to the pale and horrified human with a smile, crimson eyes half mast, “With you I, Shadow the hedgehog, King of Mobius, will usher in a new era of peace in Maria’s name.”   
  
  
“W-what?! I-wha I am not!” The human sputtered, his stomach twisting, his heart dead in his chest. This was hell. This was his own personal hell! Shadow was a king, leading a cult dedicated to Maria and he wanted him to be the second coming?! “Yes you are, I know it, your eyes are her eyes.” Shadow said huskily, hand coming up to cup Chris’ cheek. Chris promptly slapped said hand away and shouted at the top of his lungs, “I AM NOT YOUR GODDAMNED NEO-MARIA!”  
  
  
Shadow reeled back at the sudden explosive outburst, holding his slapped hand to his chest, his red eyes wide. Chris took it as a chance to stand on his still achy legs and jab his finger into the white fluff on the black hedgehog’s chest. “Now you look here, you flipping psychopath, so help me I swore to never call you that because I know you’re just traumatized, but you’re making this hard not too!” The human hissed, eyes in near slits as he used his height to loom over the other, “You got some problems, it’s been established, but this is just ridiculous!”  
  
  
“Now I’ve been through some shit these last few weeks, I got thrown in prison, ended up busting out with another psychopath who loves nothing more than driving me insane so he can laugh when I twitch funny!” The human turned from the hedgehog and began to angrily pace back and forth stopping to point accusingly at Shadow and random things around the room, then up at the large statue above him, “But this! This takes the cake and all the lies surrounding it! I have not been nor will I ever be your Neo-Maria!”  
  
  
Neo-Maria. He remembered the running joke from his dimension anytime they had to deal with Team Dark. ‘Careful Chris, Shadow’s going to be there, he might kidnap you again and make you his Neo-Maria! Better wear these sunglasses in case your eyes trigger him again! Look I got you a wig now we really mess with his mind! Foolish Hedgehog leave the boy behind this time, he keeps distracting Shadow from the mission! Have you guys seen Shadow around? He teleported away a while ago, I figured if Chris was gone I’d know not to worry too much.’ Yet he’d never thought it would actually become an actual thing. Neo-Maria, over his dead body.  
  
  
“You...hit me.” Shadow said slowly, looking from his hand to the ranting human in disbelief, nobody had managed or even dared to hit him in years. “Yes and I’m well aware you’re god-like compared to me, but I will hit you again you keep this up, you glorified pincushion!” Chris scowled, holding up his fists, not caring much for his personal safety, death was better to being the Neo-Maria. Personally he blamed Scourge for everything, being with the hedgehog in close quarters for so long had done horrible things to his self preservation instincts. He thinks that kiss from when they first met was pretty much the death blow to his sanity.  
  
  
“ _ **Amazing.**_ ” Came the breathless reply from the dark hedgehog, red eyes lighting up and mouth twisting in some form of demented glee that made Chris want to cry. “What?” The human’s voice cracked, faltering at the reaction hadn’t expected. Wasn’t this the part were he got smacked into a wall? Why was he grinning about?! Chris made that low angry cat noise again as the hedgehog closed the distance, catching his wrists in his hands before the human could attempt to defend himself, “Nooooooooo!”  
  
  
“Oh yes,” Shadow purred, easily overpowering the human, pinning him to the floor, “I’m even more sure now of your reason for being here. Do you know how long it’s been since someone’s dared to defy me, yell at me, _**strike me…**_? ” He trailed off in a husky tone that made the human whimper and shake his head frantically, blue eyes wide in horror as he struggled. “I’m going to enjoy breaking and reforming you.” The king smirked and leaned down his face getting closer to the human’s, his breath just ghosting across this the redhead’s lips. Chris felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes, this couldn’t be happening. He take anything to get out of this situation, he take anyone, he’d even take… “Sc...scourge...” He’s not sure why he says it, a soft choked whisper. He chalks it up to stress and desperation as Shadow stills at the name.  
  
  
BLAM! The large doors abruptly slammed open with an echoing boom, a familiar voice echoing that made Chris want to cry in relief and scream in frustration all at the same time. “Boom, baby! Nice digs Stripes, too bad you’ve gone off your rocker to get them.” Scourge grinned, standing in the doorway, hands on his hips as he grinned that devil-may-care grin of his. “You. How did you get through all my guards?” Shadow growled in displeasure pulling back from the human. The green hedgehog peered over the edge of his shades, “What, that sad lot outside? They wouldn’t let me in, so I let myself in.”  
  
  
“You’re losing your touch, Stripes, but either way your emo ass is currently sitting on top of my partner and I don’t much care for it.” His ice blue eyes narrowed and his voice had the undertone of a growl as he spoke, “Now I’m not one for harshing on another’s despotic jam, but I’ll be taking him back. Didn’t you hear him when he said ‘no’?” Chris blinked and in that second Shadow’s weight disappeared from above him. A blur of green slamming into the black hedgehog, a well aimed kick to the jaw sending the king flying across the room in a pile of creepy Maria memorabilia.  
  
  
Scourge is in Chris’ face a second later, pulling him up off the floor, “Jeez Bats we split up for a couple of hours and this is what you get up to?” Chris wheezed a strangled noise, mentally denying the tears still in his eyes, “Where...the HELL have you been?!” He grabbed the green hedgehog by his jacket and shook him, “You have no idea what I’ve been through!” Scourge snickered as he was shook, the human’s hold was weak due to trembling hands and easily brushed them off, “Oh I think I can make an educated guess.” He smirked and in an extremely cheeky move, flipped Chris’ skirt up, “I like the dress, sweetheart, why don’t you ever dress up for me? If this is the bonus, I might just have to go emo myself.”  
  
  
Chris made an enraged noise and tugged at his hair in frustration as he jumped in place while the other reveled in his suffering, “I hate you! _Hate you_ , **hate you** , _**hate you**_ -!” Chris wanted to say more and possibly wrap his hands around the green menace’s neck, but the low growl from across the room made them freeze. “ _ **You will pay dearly for that.**_ ” Shadow rose from out of the pile of Maria paraphernalia, like a demon rising from the pits of hell, glowing green, large flames chaos energy sparking in both his palm. “Well…. that’s new for Stripes.” Scourge looked to Chris and the human looked at him. They stared deep into each others eyes for a heartbeat then nodded.  
  
  
“I would like to go back to the junkyard now.”  
  
  
“I agree, I agree. We’ve overstayed the welcome.”   
  
  
Scourge yanked Chris into his arms and took off as blast of chaos energy left a small crater in the spot where they had just been standing. “Holy shit! Stripes wasn’t that strong before!” Scourge hissed, skidding around a corner, a little unbalanced from carrying the human. “Less talking, more escaping!” Chris griped on to Scourge’s jacket, refusing to wrap his arms around his neck on general principles. He shrieked as chaos energy flew passed them and looked behind them to the terrifying sight behind them. “He’s catching up! I don’t know if you are aware, but he is catching up!”   
  
  
“Well I am carrying dead weight, I could drop you and make my escape while he makes you his new bitch.” Scourge smirked at the face Chris pulled at his words. “ _ **You wouldn’t dare!**_ ” The human hissed, gripping tighter at the black leather. “Then you better hold on and shut your damn trap.” Scourge felt a smug sense of satisfaction as he felt the human’s arms wrap around his neck. He cursed soon after as green lightening shot passed them. Chris cried out and tighten his arms around Scourge’s neck as the hedgehog rolled them back into that grand throne room.  
  
  
Again Scourge dropped him on his ass, but the human leapt back to his feet and they both worked to shut the heavy doors. Scourge dash around throwing random bits of terrifying Maria propaganda in front of the door as an angry roar from the other echoed around them. They pressed themselves against the barricade as Shadow began hitting it from the other side. “Fucking hell, Stripes has really gone off the rails!” Scrouge hissed, his glasses barely on his face, hanging off a single pointy ear. Chris whimpered and started to say something, but instead his eyes focused ahead and his face went blank. Scourge looked as well and felt his expression do the same, his glasses falling to the ground with a soft clink noise.  
  
  
“Well certainly took you a while to get here.” Zonic said from his position on Shadow’s throne. His bored face rested in his propped up hand, his legs crossed elegantly in front of him as he surveyed the two disheveled criminals. “You...son of bitch!” The green hedgehog sputtered, enraged at the sight of the Zone Cop, “I’m gonna knock your block off!” Scourge stopped in mid stomp towards the cop as Chris laid a heavy hand on his shoulder. He frowned at the human, seeing the uncommon stony serious expression on his pale face. “Bats?”  
  
  
“Scourge,” Chris began, voice steady and serious, his ocean blue eyes steely as he looked at Zonic on the throne before them, “There is a time and place for anger as there is a time and place for logic.” The green hedgehog stared at the human like he had grown another head as brief moment of silence passed between the three of them, Zonic arching an eyebrow at the human’s words as well. The bangs on the other side of the door grew stronger in intensity and Chris’ face fell, “This is neither of those times.” He whimpered before sprinting full tilt and jumped right into the Zone Cop’s lap.  
  
  
“Take me back to prison!” He begged without a single shred of shame, looping his arms around the officer’s neck, “Oh please, please, please take me back to prison!” Zonic’s mouth quirked into an amused smirk as Scourge openly gaped at his partner, “Bats, what the hell?!” Chris clung to Zonic, rubbing their cheeks together as the cop wrapped an arm around his waist, “You don’t understand, that madman put me in a dress! That off-kiltered maniac’s gonna make me his Neo-Maria! PLEASE, take me back to prison!”  
  
  
“Bats!” Scourge squawked in outrage, his quills flaring as he clinched his fists, “You know you’re too pretty for prison! Especially if you go in that dress!”  
  
  
“I don’t care! I’ll take my chances! You knew when we first met, I don’t have any dignity left!” Chris groveled desperately and shook Zonic by the front of his uniform, “Please, please, please, I don’t want to be the Neo-Maria! I’ll do anything you want!”   
  


“Anything?” Zonic asked as he rolled dark green eyes, lips quirked in amusement at the human’s cringing and the green hedgehog’s exasperated sputtering. “ _ **ANYTHING.**_ ” The human confirmed, thinking any fate was better then being this King Shadow’s Neo-Maria. “Very well then, it’s deal.” Zonic stood without from the throne, Chris dropping to the ground with a pained groan, but quickly clung to one of the azure furred male’s legs in case he suddenly vanished on them.  
  
  
“The hell it’s a deal. BATS, get your goddamned hands off him!” Scourge held up his fists ready to fight the zone cop for his partner and to get out of this madhouse before Kingly busted down the down. Zonic raised an eyebrow again, looking at Scourge with disinterest before shooting at his sneakered feet. Chris watched as his green furred partner fell into a portal that suddenly open up under him with a loud string of explicit cursing. He tensed as a hand gripped the back of his dress and looked up at Zonic’s smirking face, “Please give Sonic Prime my regards.” He purred before dropping the human male into the same portal.  
  
  
Chris swears he hears Shadow’s roar of outrage just after the portal closes behind him, but he can’t confirm it as he spirals through the pathway between dimensions. His landing is remarkably softer than his last and filled with a lot more cursing, curtsey of the green hedgehog he landed on. The redhead made a soft moaning and gave into the urge to hug the other regardless of the repercussions. Scourge cursed under him as the human channeled the clinging power of octopus, “Bats, get off! I’m pissed at you! OOOOOOOFFFFFFFFFF!” He pushed at the other till the human finally released him and rolled to his feet trying to get his bearings, “Where the hell are we?!”  
  
  
“He said something about a ‘Prime Sonic’.” Chris informed, rubbing his face tiredly, feeling drained from the whole ordeal, his body aching and shaking as the adrenalin wore off. He gingerly sat up and looked around the forest they were in, glancing around in a paranoid manner like he expected Shadow to jump out at them again. “Blue? Fuck me, we’re in Blue’s zone now? Goddamnit.” Scourge swore, expression darkening as he ran a hand through his rigid quills and kicked up a cloud of dirt, “Of all the Zones he could’ve- by the way; what the ever living HELL was that shit you pulled back there?!”   
  
  
The green hedgehog loomed over the human, light blue eyes glaring at him with his hands on his hips. Chris grimaced, shrinking down from the baleful glare aimed at him, “It worked, didn’t it? We’re not with King Crazy Cult anymore.” The hedgehog just narrowed his eyes at him more and Chris held up a small piece of black leather, “I took his wallet if it makes you feel better.” Chris is sure he is back not in Scourge’s good graces just yet, but the look on his face is worth it. “You stole the Zone Cop’s wallet.” He deadpanned and dropped his face into his palm, “At least you’re picking up on that at least. BUT!” He prodded the human in the nose with his finger, “You pull that pathetic groveling shit again and I’m kicking you to the curb. You’re gonna ruin my image doing shit like that.”  
  
  
“We’re partners and if we’re going to stay partners, you are going to be just as much of a badass as I am, got it?” Scourge rolled his eyes as the human started to smile and cast a searching look around the forest, “Now let’s get the hell out of dodge, I’m in no mood to deal with Blue right now.” He offered his hand to the redhead, pulling him up to stand next to him, reflexively putting a hand to the small of his back to steady him. “Trust me, while I particularly don’t care to deal with another Sonic today, one has been more than enough. What’s your deal with him?” Chris asked as he brushed off his skirt, scowling at the offending piece of fabric.  
  
  
Scourge blinked owlishly for a moment, “What?” Chris frowned, cursing softly as he stepped on something sharp, hating his lack of footwear, “Well I have my reasons for disliking incarnations of the blue bane of my existence, but you never said what yours were. Plus we already dealt with Zonic today, I don’t think I could take another one.”  
  
  
The green hedgehog stared at him in stunned silence as his sky blue eyes slowly went wide in horrified realization, “Oh my god... _ **You don’t know...**_ ”

  
0-0-0-0-0-

**Author's Note:**

> Small note about this and a little real talk.
> 
> Due to something concerning this story after I originally posted it on FF.N, I seriously considered to stop writing completely and abandon all my stories. It put me into a horrible slump after I had already entered into an extreme depressive episode due to a sudden death in my family. I was really lost and felt like I wasn't worth anything, I had forgotten how much I love writing and it just seemed pointless to continue. 
> 
> But thank to several people who didn't give up on me, I managed to pull myself out of it and rediscovered how much I love writing. I do really love this story; the world and the sequels I had begun to create with it and I have so much to to tell. Despite what happened I refuse to let this miniseries and my other stories die just yet. Part of the reason I finally decided to start posting and revising my stories for Ao3.
> 
> ^__^ Thanks to anyone whose stopped to read and enjoyed themselves, I have many more stories to tell and entertain you all with.


End file.
